“Honey, the air conditioners aren’t responding?”
“Yes, you told me that some two hours ago.”
“I mean the whole house is stuffy. Can’t you get that?”
“That’s alright; I’m sending the company’s engineer to work on them immediately.”
“Please do. Thanks honey.”
“You’re welcome, my love.”
In less than thirty minutes time, I heard a Siena screeched to a stop in the compound as the gateman closed the gate. Hearing the sound of the doorbell, I rushed to open the door.
“Hello sir.” I said.
“Good day Madame, this is Mr. Kayode from Ray and Sons Ltd.”
“Oh, the engineer from my husband’s company?”
“Yes ma’am. I’m here to work on your fanning systems.”
“Air conditioners please.”
“Yes ma’am.” I was almost blushing when the lanky ebony-brown complexioned man addressed a young woman like me, ‘ma’am. He looked far older than me, if not older than even my husband.
“You’re going to work on the air conditioners of the whole house, beginning with the sitting room, then our bedroom and my husband’s study.”
“That’s ok ma’am.”
“If you can’t finish the remaining parts of the house today, you may have to come back another day.”
“No problem ma’am.” I felt like slapping him for calling me ‘ma’am’ like he was addressing his mother but I felt he was only being as polite as possible.
“When you’re done for today, I’ll be in the backyard if you need me.” I smiled.
“That’s fine ma’am.” Addressing me ‘ma’am’ again, I was seriously getting pissed off but I decided to ignore his good manners.
Three hours later, while I was knitting my son’s cardigan, Mr. Kayode came.
“I’ve finished my work ma’am.”
“You mean you are done? You mean the whole house or what?”
“Yes ma’am. I’ve been on this job since the last fifteen years. It was no big deal checking all the fanning systems in the house.”
“That’s incredible!”
“I appreciate you ma’am.”
“Can I check them? Just to make sure they’re working well so I don’t need to call you back here again.” I didn’t want him to think I didn’t trust the work is done.
“Why not?” He agreed. Besides, he had no choice, I was his boss’ wife.
Moving from one part of the room to the next, I felt the cooling capacities of the fanning systems, as he called them. They started working so perfectly like they were newly bought systems.
“Thank you so much sir.” I was being polite to him. Besides, he’d been addressing me as ‘ma’am’ since he arrived.
“I’m always at you and your husband’s beck and call ma’am.”
Leading him out of my husband’s study, my feet hit the table just before the door and I fell down. I couldn’t hold the pain as I yelled as if he was the one that pushed me to the ground.
“Stop yelling ma’am.” He said as he held me up. I suddenly felt a tingling sensation all over my body and didn’t know when I started kissing him. He was about to make a comment when I held his lips. From my husband’s study, we ended up in the bedroom. Though the man was gangling, he treated so nicely and I felt like clinging to him forever. When he was leaving, it pained me that I may never see him again.
“Thank you for coming Mr. Kayode.”
“The pleasure is all mine.” He didn’t add ‘ma’am’ this time around and that made me happy. We were now on the same page.
“Would you like to have lunch before you go?” I was trying as much as possible to keep this man here with me even for the few hours before my husband will be back from work.
“Maybe some other times dear, there are other official duties I have to attend to in the office.” His calling me dear made me even happier.
“That’s okay but you take care of yourself.”
“You too dear.” He winked at me.
As soon as he left, my husband called that he was coming home for lunch. It was unusual because he was such a workaholic who hardly spends time with me or our child.
“So to what do I owe this lunch?”
“I came actually to pick up an important file in preparation for my meeting with members of the company’s board of trustees this evening.”
“But when will all this stop?” I grumbled, hovering over him as he looked for the documents he came for.
“What? Where are you heading to?”
“Honey, it’s been like months since you had lunch with me na.”
“I see. What about all the money, properties and security I’ve provided for you and your son? Do you think if I spend my time at home all the time, you would be driving that car?”
“Is it security and wealth that make a home?” Haba, this man though that he could just leave a whole lot of me at home every morning before he left for work and that would somehow satisfy me? I am a woman, not a piece of metal. I feel, and I have cravings that I realized not only him could satisfy today.
“See, you are delaying me ooh. Just let me get what I came here for okay?” He kissed my cheeks as he grabbed a hold of the documents and then he left again. This has been the routine I have been trying to get used to ever since we had our first child.
